First BancTrust Corporation Announces Departure of President & CEO, Terry J. Howard and Appointment of Successor, Jack R. Franklin

PARIS, Ill., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First BancTrust Corporation ("the Company") (Pink Sheets: FIRT), issued the following press release today on behalf of the Company and its operating subsidiaries:

Terry J. Howard will leave his position as President & CEO of First BancTrust Corporation and First Bank & Trust, s.b. ("the Bank") at the close of business on February 13, 2009. The Boards of Directors of the Company and the Bank have appointed Jack R. Franklin, currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Bank, as his successor.

Howard's employment with the Bank began in 1988 when he was appointed as Executive Vice President of First Federal Savings & Loan Association. He facilitated the merger of the Edgar County Building and Loan Association with First Federal, which became First Federal Savings Bank of Paris, Illinois on January 1, 1990. The resultant institution had combined assets of $134 million with offices in Clark and Edgar Counties. In 1993, the outlying branches were combined resulting in an office in a new branch bank building in Marshall, Illinois along with the main office facilities in Paris. The Bank was approved for trust powers that same year and converted to an Illinois chartered savings bank - First Bank & Trust, s.b. in 1995.

Howard was appointed President and CEO in 1999 when the Bank's total assets were nearly $168 million with deposits of $126 million and loans of $110 million. The Bank converted from a mutual savings bank to a publicly traded company in April, 2001. In 2002, the Marshall branch was expanded to accommodate growth in that market. In 2003, the Bank purchased a branch which became First Bank of Savoy in Champaign County in 2004. In 2005, the Bank acquired Rantoul First Bank to further expand its footprint in Champaign County. A second banking office was opened in Martinsville, in Clark County in May of 2006. In December of that same year, the Bank acquired a branch of the Central Illinois Bank in Rantoul, later consolidating that office into First Bank of Rantoul. State and Federal banking regulators recently approved the Bank's application to establish a branch in Champaign, Illinois. First Bank of Champaign is scheduled to open in a renovated building downtown later this year. The Bank's current assets total nearly $362 million with deposits of $265 million and loans of $270 million.

Howard stated that he was very proud of the performance of the Bank during his entire employment. He attributed the growth during the current decade to working with people with a vision for the future who wanted to establish the premier community bank in their markets. He stated that his most significant challenges were implementing the merger in 1990 at the end of the "Savings & Loan Crisis" and overseeing the conversion to a publicly traded company in 2001. Howard acknowledged that we are going through unprecedented challenges in the current economic environment. Recalling the closing of the Zenith plant in Paris 1982, he stated, "Our local economies have faced greater challenges and endured; building a more stable economy with less dependency on any single employer." He went on to note that, "The most enduring memories I have of my time at First Bank will be those of the officers and employees who worked hard to ensure that community banking services were available to the residents of East Central Illinois. We have overcome obstacles that others said were insurmountable and built a community bank with a solid foundation for growth and prosperity for the foreseeable future."

Franklin began his employment as a consumer lending officer with First Bank and Trust, which at that time was First Federal Savings Bank, in 1992. He was subsequently named Vice President of Operations and Marketing in 1999 serving in this capacity until 2002 when he was designated Senior Vice President of Operations for the Bank. From 2003 until 2007, Franklin served as President of the Champaign County operations for First Bank. He was appointed to his current position of Executive Vice President and COO of the Bank in 2007.

Franklin stated that he is looking forward to guiding the staff of First Bank in providing quality financial products and services to the customers in our markets. First Bank has offices in Paris, Marshall, Savoy, Rantoul, and Martinsville, Illinois. Franklin stated, "We have made the commitment to provide community banking to these communities by way of investments in convenient facilities, including our new corporate office in Paris, and with employees that take pride in serving our customers. I am looking forward to establishing our branch in Champaign while enhancing all of our financial services in each of our markets."

David W. Dick, Chairman of the Board of Directors added, "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Terry Howard for his many years of service to the First Bank Family. We will value his counsel in the future. Also, we welcome Jack Franklin in his new role as President & CEO. The Board is also extremely proud of the fine staff of employees that help our organization provide superior, independent banking and consumer services to our many customers in East Central Illinois."

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve assumptions and potential risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed herein. Readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are applicable only as of the date hereof.

SOURCE First BancTrust Corporation

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